Wind Chimes
by Kimiosiki
Summary: The dreams Zelda's been having are no coincidence. Something disturbing is approaching and Zelda feels a change in the air.   Are her premonitions ordained by the Makers of Hyrule or are they something more sinister? Zeldax Vaati.
1. Nips in the air

Zelda had been receiving strange dreams lately. Dreams, where she would suddenly find herself, moments after just closing her eyes, alone in a wide empty field.

For the past weeks, she had been dreaming of a hazy lush field that was dotted with a few trees and always had a gentle breeze blowing. However, it was not a typical field. The grass had a certain silver sheen to it, even though it was unmistakeably green; the bark of the trees was blue, but their leaves were violet and emitted a lavender glow. It was an eerie place, but a peaceful one.

The first time Zelda had found herself there, she had noticed a presence. Its aura had pulsed in time with her own, teased it and taunted it. It had pulled on her aura and suddenly pushed it back. It had been the same ever since. It was dormant but alert at the same time.

Zelda had stopped calling them dreams. They were too real. She could feel the grass beneath the soles of her feet; feel the wind kiss her face. In dreams, you had no control over what happens. In this dream world, Zelda could do whatever she wanted and go wherever she liked. Except she just could not wake up.

Every time she went, the place would be more in focus, becoming less hazy each time. She could feel the stranger's aura become stronger and stronger, almost reaching the strength her aura had.

Every time she woke up, she felt more drained.

Today it had been worse than usual, having had to deal with the stress of Vaati's seal. It was cracking. Every day, bit by bit, the seal was getting weaker and soon his aura would be radiating from the sword.

Zelda gladly fell onto her bed, yearning for the idyllic field.

Her wish was granted and she, once again, found herself back in the dream field.

Zelda gasped. The field was different. It had almost totally lost the hazy atmosphere. Each blade of grass stood out sharper than before; each crack in the trees' bark was deeper. Zelda cautiously took a few paces forwards, wondering what had happened.

The aura pulsed deeper and stronger than before. The gentle breeze turned into a spry one, caressing her face. A few leaves began orbiting around her and without warning, the pulsing stopped and a hand was caressing her face instead of the wind.

Zelda's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened as they met a pair of smouldering scarlet ones. The owner of the eyes smirked.

"How nice to see you again, Zelda."

Zelda could not speak; she was still processing what she was seeing. The hand stopped stroking her cheek and went to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Vaati." His name alone made his smirk deepen with amusement.

"I see you found your tongue. Good. You will be needing it."

Zelda tried to step away from him in disgust, but she had not noticed his arm wrap itself around her waist. It brought her closer towards him, until heir faces were mere inches apart, his head looming over hers. His arm clamped itself down in an iron grip and she could not break free.

She could feel his warm breath against her ear, and it made her skin crawl. She finally found her voice again. "What do you want?"

He seemed to contemplate it for a few moments, his eyes slightly narrowing.

"You."

Zelda withdrew a sharp breath in shock. "What?"

He lowered his head even closer to hers and said, "I couldn't have the light power, so I'll have you instead."

He captured her lips in a feverish kiss. His lips were soft, yet they had a hard edge to them. She could feel his tongue swiping across her bottom lip.

The kiss deepened and then he finally released her. She felt him smirk against her lips, his pointed canines grazing over her lower lip.

"I want you. And more."

Zelda abruptly woke up.

Zelda's eyes fluttered open and she licked her dry lips. Her chest was heaving up and down. She looked around her room and finally found what she was looking for: proof of what had happened.

On her vanity table lay an exquisite flower. Its petals were lilac like his skin and its pollen was dark purple in colour, like the clothes he donned. It gave off a dim blue glow. As soon as she touched it, it withered up and curled in on itself. It then disintegrated into ashes and a strong breeze led the ashes out onto the balcony.

Zelda followed the ashes and looked down into the town square. Everyone looked tense and uneasy and the entire borough seemed to have a thick atmosphere, as if they all knew a dangerous predator was stalking them, waiting for the right time to strike.

Curious about what was happening, Zelda called a maid.

"What is happening?"

The maid looked at her incredulously. "Did you not hear the news, my lady?"

"Hear what news? I have just woken."

The maid's worry lines set in deeper. "Vaati's back," she announced, "the seal broke last night!"

Zelda had rushed to the stables and mounted the first horse she had seen. She had rode hard and fast, the wind cutting her face, daring her to come closer. Closer to the sword.

Closer to Vaati.

She finally arrived at the sealing shrine and dismounted her horse. There was an odd feeling to the shrine, as if someone was waiting, watching. Not a single blade of grass stirred.

Zelda walked towards the sword that had acted as Vaati's seal. It seemed fine. Zelda had almost made up her mind to leave.

Until she noticed Vaati's presence was totally gone.

That explained why nothing was moving. The sword had been enough to seal him, but not enough to stop him from raging a light breeze. The place had been totally empty of wind.

He really had broken free, and now Zelda was going to pay the price.

She felt an aura suddenly appear behind her.

"You're mine Zelda."


	2. Away with the wind

Wind Chimes: Chapter 2

Away with the wind.

Author's Note: I'm not sure I'm too happy with chapter one, so I think I'll be rewriting it. Here is chapter two after much demand :D I'm glad so many people liked it, even though I feel that chapter one isn't good at all D: I am very grateful for every review I get, every favourite, every story alert, everything! Except flames. Those I do not enjoy. Constructive criticism always helps :D I am truly grateful! Sorry it's not too long, but I wanted to end it with a sort of climax (: Besides, I need to sleep -.-' I hope you enjoy it! On with the show!

P.S My old keyboard broke, and this new one doesn't work properly. If there are any 'g's or 'k's missing then it's because of that, and I missed them whilst proof-reading.

P.P.S I chose writing this over finishing a project due in two weeks. If I get an 'F' I know who to blame! XD

Love you all :3 3 3 3

May the wind be with you!

Zelda sharply turned around, only to find nothing behind her. The sudden shift in the environment around her was drastic, and was proof enough that Vaati had suddenly appeared. She looked around her, but her eyes were only met with the familiar plane of lush grass, intricate stone statues and detailed carvings. She could still feel his presence, buzzing gently yet energetically, waiting for her to make a move. A gentle wind began to blow through the sacred shrine, with heady scents riding it, mocking Zelda.

_Everything is fine,_ it seemed to say, _relax. Relax and sleep._

Zelda's eyes began to feel heavy. She began feeling as if she needed to yawn and struggled to remain awake. Her visionbegan to swim, and the tears that sometimes accompanied fatigue readily came. While her vision fogged over, she could see through the drowsiness-induced tears and mist, a vague purple shape, waling up to her with confident strides. She snapped her eyes open, and adrenaline began pounding through her system, only to find that no one was there.

She steadied herself, before she could show her shock.

_Calm down, he's playing with you. Do not let him win, at any cost! _

With this mental pep talk, Zelda looked around her once again, and began to take note of her surroundings. There were only two things that had changed. The first thing was the seal: what had previously been a solid chunk of craved granite was cracked and splintered with what looked like a great force. Pieces of the rock lay scattered around the area, the sorry and final proof of Vaati's escape. The Four Sword was still there, impaled into the ground. It didn't look as if it had changed. Behind the sword, the second change was evident. Zelda would never know how Vaati did it, it was magic she had not thought possible.

The carvings on the rock face before had depicted a sun and a sword. So elegant they had been, having been carved by a true master at the trade. Before, what had been beautiful yet elegant in its simple yet intricate design, had been radically altered by none other than Vaati. The stone that had framed the embellishment in the stone now was a complex carving of wind, entangled in itself. Where the sun had been shining down on the sword in the previous carving. It now lay blocked out by dark storm clouds, with winds raging in the background. In the foreground the sword was gone, and in it's place lay the depict of a shining light. Out of the sides of the carving came to clawed hands, as if they were going to lunge for the light. The two hands seemed to be made of darker stone than the rest, with elaborate ornamentation embellished on them.

They radiated a sinister quality and Zelda wanted nothing more than to smash the stonework. It scared her, especially since she had a shrewd guess as to what the shining light was. She wondered how Vaati had managed to accomplish this feat. It was no easy task, to even changed the pattern on a piece of wood, even embroidery, yet alone something as hard and unchanging as stone.

Zelda walked towards the sword, suddenly weary as to why Vaati would leave such a dangerous weapon in reach of an enemy. She edged towards it cautiously and stretched out her arm as soon as

she was in grabbing distance of it. Her fingertips had barely clutched the hilt of the sword before she felt a bigger hand encase her own. She held in a gasp, and turned her head slowly upwards to glare at the ex-prisoner. He smiled pleasantly back down at her.

"You didn't really think that I'd just leave this lying here, did you?" His voice held that mocking lilt to it, the one that bothered and irritated Zelda like nothing else did. Her father's counselors used to talk to her like that, conversing with her about mundane things, such as the weather or the harvest, as if she was below talking about serious matters, such as the state's economy and the latest threats to the kingdom.

"No,"she replied. "I did not." Neither of them relinquished their grips on the sword. It was a subtle play for power, as if the winner of this little scuffle would hold more power over the other. Childish, yet psychologically important. Whoever won would be left feeling inferior and would have the upper hand, especially since it was more than just a symbol for power. It was a sword, and a weapon was a weapon after all. Zelda felt she would feel safer if it was in her hands.

Vaati smirked, seeming to sense her distress. Violet clashed with red and the battle of wills began.

"How did you escape?"

Vaati sat back on his, seeming to think about the question he had been asked. "A stroke of genius mixed with luck is what secured my eventual escape."

"Care to expand on this so called stroke of genius?"

"Come now, princess," he practically sang,"I'm sure you can make sense of everything that has been happening lately. You are not unintelligent, despite the fact that people seem to dress you in the borrowed robes of fools'."

"The way my father's council treats me is none of your concern."She resisted the frown that was at her lips at his mention of their ill-treatment of her. As for what had been happening... "The dreams,"she said after a slight pause. "You've been using them to escape."

"True," he said, pleased she had figured it out. "But how?"

Zelda pondered on this. "If I were to pose a theory...you have been letting your pith seep into my dreams, to form your consciousness somewhere else...yet you are not truly here yet."

Vaati was silent for a few moments, not displeased that Zelda had acutely surmised his method of escape, just mildly shocked that she had managed to do so in such a short span of time. His mouth soon formed that familiar smirk. "Well done, princess. Your looks aren't the only things that do you justice, so it seems." His hold on her hand tightened, before he placed his other hand over his own. The sword began humming, and his own magic began resonating through it. Zelda felt the sword quiver beneath her fingers, and she tried using her own magic in an attempt to stifle Vaati's. His hands began wavering to solidity and gaseous form, yet still they had not relinquished their grip. Zelda tried to elbow him, to make him let go, when the humming stopped. When she looked at the

sword again, she was shaken. The only thing left, was the hilt in her hands.

Vaati openly grinned at her, before letting go. "You may have it now, if you wish."

Zelda loosely held the gold hilt in her hands, when she slowly looked up at Vaati. He held the blade gently, as if scared it might shatter. Zelda's initial shock died away, to be replaced by a cold clammy calmness.

He lifted the sword up to his face, inspecting the keen metal, before his smirk turned bitter. "Unbelievable," he said.

Zelda remained silent, allowing him to continue.

His eyes met hers, and a simmering anger was present in them. "This blade, this _toy_ of a weapon, was my one weakness. What was made by the Picori, can be undone by the Picori."

"Yet you are no longer one of them, are you?"

He gave her a chilling smile, before saying, "One is never far from one's roots. Yet, you are right, in a way. I am far better than any of those miniscule rodents."

"Yet their blade was your downfall."

He quoted himself: "What was made by the Picori, can be undone by the Picori. What a short-term memory you have. The magical cap that was made by Ezlo was made by a Picori, obviously. The blade was also made by the Picori , remember? Are you managing to keep up with me, princess?"

Zelda shot him a look of cold anger.

He smirked in reply and continued. "Good, you are. They were both Picori made, and their magic was equally strong. The only reason why the Four sword overpowered me was because the Minish cap was meant for good, and so Ezlo's magic within it reacted with the sword's and doubled it's strength, thus sealing me in it." He took a deep breath. "It won't happen again," he stated quietly.

"Oh, really?" It was the first time Zelda had ever directed sarcasm at someone other than herself. It was refreshing.

He rightly interpreted the look in her eyes as a challenge, and simpered tauntingly. "Little princess, how easily you scorn things unbeknown to you. If you think am another of those blundering petty villains, so common in each town, you are _sorely_ mistaken. I will forgive you of this slight this time, but make sure that this mistake does not repeat itself, or I will become _very_ irritated."

Zelda was unruffled by his threat. She tranquilly placed her hands behind her back, building her magic up in the palms' of her hands, trying not to alert Vaati to the displacement spell that was about to occur. If she could get the sword back in her hands, she'd have a good chance of stopping him. There was no way to contact anyone for help, seeing as telepathy took a lot of concentration and time. She had to act fast.

She flung a ball of buzzing magic at the sword, sure that it would hit it. Vaati, almost casually, moved the blade out of the way and flung his own arm out. The sphere of magic disintegrated upon coming into contact with Vaati's limb. She rapidly created a whip out of magic, and tried to whisk his feet out from beneath him. He tried to move backwards, not expecting this sort of attack. His left foot got caught in the fiery whip, and he let out a snarl of pain, before he fell to the ground. Zelda was about to form another sphere, when he hurled the blade up into the air. In a matter of seconds, black shadows engulfed it, and formed an irregular globe. It suddenly turned pure white, and light radiated from it. Both Zelda and Vaati had to shield their eyes as the illumination increased. The fierce glow painted everything in black and white, star colours contrasting each other. Suddenly, four rays of light emitted from the glowing orb. When it suddenly stopped, neither the sphere of light nor the blade was there.

Vaati gripped the whip with a deep grimace, before yanking on it, so that Zelda soon joined him on the ground. He grabbed her around the neck, and hissed in her ear, "Say still!"

Feeling that his grip around her throat was tightening, she quickly took his advice.

He pushed himself off the ground, his hand still at her throat.

"What did you do to the sword?" Zelda asked quietly.

"I shattered it."

Zelda quickly caught onto what those four rays of light were. "Into four pieces." It was not a question.

He nodded in confirmation. His face had turned blank and had lost the look of malicious joy that had spread across his features when he had been mocking her. Zelda feared this blank look. She could read him more, predict what he was going to do more when he was angry. If he had learned how to control himself, then she would have a hard time analyzing his next move.

It reminded her of when she would play chess with her father. She had started at a young age, her mind already sharp from hours of reading books and listening to people discuss heavy topics. She took delight in planning her moves, rejoiced in the cunning strategies her father tried to teach her, relished when she made a move he did not expect. It was only when she had started getting older, that he went started giving as good as he got and stopped spoon-feeding her. He did not want her to have anymore easy victories, so that the matches she did win could be savoured. His face would go curiously blank during these games, now no-longer dropping hints as to what piece she should play next. It was at those moments that Zelda would be unsure of herself, and second guess her thinking. She would look straight into her father's eyes, trying to guess his next thought, or distract him from his concentration.

And here she was, using the same methods to try read Vaati, to no avail.

His deep-set seriousness broke when he found her staring at him. "Saw something you like?" he grinned.

Zelda remained silent, at a loss for words, never having anyone address in such a casual manner before.

"Thought so," he smirked.

Her mouth tipped down into a slight frown, before saying, " I was just merely surprised that someone with a height and build similar to my own would have such a firm hold."

It was Vaati's turn to frown, having caught onto the implied insult towards his masculinity. He gripped her throat harder in reply, before saying, "I never understood the appeal women saw in buff men."

Zelda almost laughed in frustration. Her she was almost getting strangled while he discussed tastes in men. She placed her own hands on his, trying to wriggle out of his grip.

"Now, now," he said, "stop struggling."

He pulled her towards him, and pressed her back against his front. Zelda felt lean muscles that she was sure that no woman would ever have. He released her throat and quickly secured her around the waist with both arms. The breeze, which had been present all throughout the exchange, picked up to something stronger, and soon turned into a gale. The wind whipped their hair about, blowing it from side to side and whipping their faces. The gale transformed into a miniature hurricane, which, for some reason, did not damage the surrounding monuments, nor did it pull up any grass and stones into it's vortex. It moved towards Zelda and Vaati. Vaati stood stock still, waiting for it to devour them both, whilst Zelda frantically tried to claw away from Vaati.

The steady-moving swirl of air, reached them both, and Zelda felt the sort of weightlessness that she was accustomed to while swimming. Her eyes closed shut, scared that she'd see the world moving below her and fall. The squall tore at her dress, making it move ferociously in all directions. It felt like an eternity had flown by, ironically enough, before the weightless feeling was gone and her feet hit solid ground. She felt Vaati's arms tighten for a second, before removing them from around her waist. When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a pure white marble floor. She turned to look at Vaati, waiting for an explanation for where they were.

"Welcome," he said, "to my palace in the sky."

Zelda did not resist as Vaati took her gently by the hand and led her through marble halls. The large corridor they were passing through had no walls, just gigantic white columns that held up a marble roof. The bases and the tops of the columns had old ornamentation on them, and Zelda did not doubt the bright ore's authenticity. She looked through the columns, only to see white cumulus clouds and patches of forget-me-not blue sky. Strangely enough, it was not cold, nor was there even the slightest hint of a breeze nor was she feeling nauseous from being so high up above the ground.

Vaati lead them along at a leisurely pace, letting Zelda observe her surroundings, before he stopped in front of a vast door. In the middle of the door was a giant eye, old in colour with an amethyst for the pupil. Several rubies surround it to form a giant circle around it. Vaati placed his index finger on the middle of the door, before making a vertical slicing motion with his arm. The door creaked open, groaning in protest after years of not having opened for anyone.

Zelda was lead into a throne room. Towards the back of the vast room, there were steps that lead up to a platform. On this platform sat a throne. Elegant carvings of gusts and breezes adorned the throne, with moon stones set into it at regular intervals. The throne was also gold, yet different from the bright aurate that had adorned the columns and the door; this gold was almost silver in colour. It had to be white gold, the most valuable kind.

Vaati strode to the middle of the room, and withdrew the hilt of the Four Sword from underneath his cloak.

_When did he take that?_ Zelda thought.

He held the hilt out before him, and stood still for a few moments, before releasing the it. The hilt didn't drop as Zelda expected it to, but levitated a bit more than a mater away from the ground, surrounded by a sphere of lavender light.

"And there it shall stay," Vaati announced. "Proof of my triumph over that sword."

"Yet it had no wielder, so how was that indeed a triumph? Blades do not triumph on their own. They are just an extension of the arm."

Vaati sent her a glare that chilled her very bone-marrow, though she chose to hide that fact. His lips were pursed in a tight line, the blood having drained from them so that they were a paler version of purple than the hue of his skin colour. His eyes narrowed and he said in a quiet voice: "I think you forget your place, Zelda." He had dropped the formality that was her title.

"You have no right to call me by my name."

He raised a condescending eyebrow. "No right? You are no longer in Hyrule, little girl, and thus you have no power, both political and magical. Here, we are in _my _domain, so you play by _my_ rules. I am King here. You are merely a pawn."

He too a menacing step towards her, yet she did not give ground. He loomed over her, his face a mask of cold fury. "Now that we are on the topic, let us discuss your stay here. You will be staying her for a rather long time, I'm afraid."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long will I be staying here?"

"You're forgetting something important."

They had reached a stalemate. Zelda had a shrewd idea of what he was expecting, yet she would not give it to him.

"I disagree. Answer my question."

It happened very fast. Vaati sighed and looked disappointed, as if she was an old friend who forgot that his birthday was today. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers, before he hauled her by the front of the plain cotton dress she had worn when she had been in a hurry to get to the shrine. He pulled her face close to his, before whispering: "How many times must you be put in our place, girl? I thought you were intelligent. Here, as I said earlier, I am King. I am Master. Address me as such."

She gave him a cold look before replying: "Never."

His hand suddenly flew up, about to backhand her face, when he regained his self-control and stopped himself. He took a few deep breaths, before regaining his composure. He lowered his hand. "Fine then, _Zelda_, two can play at that game."

She narrowed her eyes, and they both stood motionless, staring each other down. Vaati eventually released her. "You will be staying here as a... well, guest isn't exactly the right word..."

"How about prisoner?" Zelda supplied with a hint of sarcasm.

"No, that won't do either." He seemed to be in deep thought for a few seconds, before replying, "I've got it! How about betrothed?"

"_What?" _

"You don't approve?" He sighed in mock defeat. "Oh well, you'll learn to live with it. You'll eventually learn to live with being my wife also."

Zelda was speechless with shock. She had received marriage proposals in the past, yet this was not even that. This was sheer deceleration of ownership. She, at last, managed to find her voice: "I will never marry you."

"Oh? I guess I'll just have to make do with you as my mistress."

She physically recoiled from the thought, and began taking slow steps away from him.

"What are you going to do, Zelda? The door only opens for me, and jumping off is an option I rather you didn't take."

As angry and disgusted she was at him, she knew he was right. Nevertheless, she still continued to back away from him, before an idea struck her.

_Teleportation. I can teleport. _

Truth be told, she had not completely learned how to teleport from such a huge distance. She had only recently mastered the act of teleporting short distances, such as from the castle the Lon Lon Ranch. It took a long time, she would have to start immediately.

Vaati took two quick strides towards her, before taking both her hands in his own. His face leaned close to hers, and hovered for a heartbeat, before plunging and sealing her lips with his own.


	3. Falling short

A/N: I can't believe how long it took me to write and post this chapter D: I am ASHAMED of myself and feel thoroughly selfish. I really admire the authors who manage to get a chapter out a week, I really do. They are such amazing people D: I apologize deeply from the recesses of my heart! Also, I know this Zelda seems a lot more smarter than her Minish cap version, but this is one of the MC verison's descendants, okay? She's more like the one from four swords, but less helpless

:3 Poetic license, okay? I know y'all prefer a stronger Zelda too ;D

***

Chapter Three: Falling Short.

Zelda's skin was icy cold, having only the protection of her thin cotton dress to protect her from the cold temperature of the atmosphere. Her fingers were numb, despite her flushed face. She hugged her knees closer to her chest, inhaling deeply, so as to draw herself into a calmer state. Once again she wiped the back of her hand against her lips, all the while Vaati's touch still lingering inauspiciously. He had released triumphantly, and in a sudden rush of anger, Zelda had backhanded him across the face, resulting in her current location: seemingly, Vaati's dungeons.

They were not the classical filthy, grey, stone dungeons. In fact, they were quite pleasant, if one liked to be surrounded by an unending drop to the ground. Vaati had seen it fit to place her where she could the least damage: suspended on a circular marble slab that was pensile in mid-air. The slab was surrounded by a broad gap, which formed a blue ring around it. Zelda could see various cloud forms, and while they had kept her entertained for the first few minutes she soon got tired of trying to guess whether hey were cumulus clouds or cumulonimbus ones. The vast gap ended by white, marble columns surrounding her. Through one of the arches between the columns she could see a long white corridor stretch off far beyond her reach.

Zelda thought mutinous thoughts as she glared at the expanse below her. She thought, with her own brand of gallows' humour, that it would be just her good fortune if caste town had to be situated below her. Home would only be one quick step away. As quickly as this thought had flashed through her mind, Zelda pushed it away. Not even a day had gone by and she was already contemplating suicide? No, she must be strong like the way she had trained to be.

She idly thought about how her tutors had disciplined in the ways of collective thinking and tactics. Her tutors had often tested her by trying to rankle her and, more often than not, had failed to do so. She remembered the meditative exercises she had been taught, ways of breathing and various mantras, all so that she would strive on, in the face of anger or danger. Zelda took on a meditative

position in the centre of the circle, legs crossed, the backs of both hands pressed against each other, while she let her thumbs lay softly against each other. Expanding her diaphragm to breathe deeply, she let her mind go blank, before she laid everything that happened in the correct order.

Behind her eyelids Zelda saw images of the past events flow before her eyes; her arrival, the shattering of the sword, the teleportation to the palace in the sky, the kiss-

A prominent crease appeared on Zelda's brow as she tried to concentrate on something else. Although she hadn't been flustered at the time, the memory of it brought a flush to her face. She had never indulged in something so personal as a kiss, besides the ones she received on her knuckles from newly made acquaintances, or the ones her father used to give her on her forehead so many years ago. She remembered Vaati's osculation in detail: slightly moist lips moving on their own, trying to tempt a response from her...the memory of it still made her shudder in disgust, at the action and at his audacity.

She felt her stomach heave in hunger, having not eaten anything since the night before. The stomach acid tried to scale the walls of her belly, making her want to retch. Zelda gave up trying to meditate; it was impossible to concentrate. She allowed herself to rest her body against the cold, hard marble, and as the back of her head made contact with the marmoreal, she heard a voice ring out,"Behaving better now? Or do you still want some more time out?"

Zelda struggled to rein in her temper. She sat up straight, with her back stiffly facing him. She refused to play his game.

"Still in a bad mood?" he called out.

Biting her lower lip, Zelda tried not to retaliate with a sharp reply.

Silence hung over them like a stiff blanket, before Vaati shrugged and said, "Ah, well, and here I was going to invite you to dinner."

Zelda tried not to react to his last remark, she really did, but it was useless. Her head had turned a fraction of an inch towards him, and with his sharp red gaze he did not miss it. "Someone's hungry," he chuckled.

Thankfully her stomach had not rumbled as soon as he said that, thus diverting from the usual cliché sounds when one is starving. Zelda decided that since he was offering her a meal, he was worthy of her time and turned to face him. He cocked an eyebrow sarcastically and in good humour, as if he had forgotten all about his rage before, when she had struck him. "Stay still," he ordered.

Vaati keeled down close to the edge of the marble platform with columns, before he cupped his hands, and blew gently. In the space between his mouth and his hands thick, heavy clouds formed, before they flowed forwards and created a pathway between the circular platform and the one Vaati was kneeling on. Zelda looked dubiously at the path; she would not put it past him to not have made the clouds dense enough to walk on, so that she would plummet to her death. Sensing her hesitance, he stepped onto the cloud lane and extended his hand mockingly. Incensed, Zelda stepped defiantly onto the path and strolled past him regally towards the marble corridor she had taken note of before.

Vaati's mouth twitched upwards as he suppressed a gleeful smile. "I wouldn't go further if I were you," he called out.

Zelda, paying no heed to his words, strode on She could see an open doorway and made haste towards it, before stopping short in front of it. She looked back over her shoulder and saw Vaati sneer in disappointment. He sighed dramatically, before strolling towards her and said ," Wise move, princess. Guess I'll have to wait some other time to watch you humiliate yourself." He extended his hand, palm forwards, towards the open doorway, and as soon as his hand was parallel with the door frame, a wall of dense, purple light stretched from all sides of the doorway. He pointed to fingers at the light, and brushed it with his fingertips, before the shining wall dispersed.

He grabbed Zelda's wrist once it was over, and tugged her down a draughty corridor, before making a few more sharp turns. Zelda felt his enclosed hand to be slightly ghost like. His form was not completely solid, yet dense enough to lug her around. She inwardly grimaced at her lack of physical strength, before he paused in front of a marble archway which was shrouded in curtains. He pulled them apart and shoved Zelda inside. "Take a bath," he ordered. "I refuse to dine with someone who stinks." He left without another word, satisfied enough that he need not turn around to see Zelda's indignant glare.

***

Zelda reined in her temper sufficiently enough to stop herself furiously stomp her way into the baths. She shoved apart several more layers of curtains before she arrived in a dressing room. She peered through a spacious archway and saw a vast, octagonal, marble pool sunk into the floor, filled with steaming water. Several gold amphorae surrounded the pool, gushing diaphanous water into it. The scent of jasmine beckoned from the incandescent depths, luring the princess ever closer. The pool looked out to a wonderful view of the sky, from all sides but one. She looked back towards the changing rooms, hoping to find towels and a set of fresh clothes. After finding both, she removed her flimsy cotton dress. She felt her body break out into goosebumps as chilled air came into contact with bare skin. Quickly grabbing a towel, she scurried over to the side of the pool, placed the towel a bit further away from the edge, and slipped in.

The water was just the right side of hot, almost scalding yet not quite there. It tingled pleasantly against and Zelda allowed a day's worth of tension to seep away with the rest of the dirt. She allowed herself a few minutes to relax and ease out the knots between her shoulders before she set to work on thoroughly cleaning herself. She usually washed every morning, but in her haste to the seal she had forgone her usual bath, and could not but help curl her nose in irritation at the fact that Vaati had been right.

She found various scented soaps and shampoos next to an amphora: jasmine, honeysuckle, water-lily, apple blossom, citrus, cinnamon and various other smells. She smelled each one, trying to find a pleasant yet not over-powering combination. At the castle, Zelda was always presented with strong soaps and perfumes, that always irritated her to no extent and gave her a headache. They were strong, long-lasting soaps, so that she'd always smell as if she'd come straight from a perfumery.

Zelda found a delightful combination of jasmine and honeysuckle and then proceeded to scrub her skin until it shone pink. Her hair also received the same brutal treatment and Zelda was thoroughly refreshed as she pulled herself up from the pool. Her hand rushed out for the towel, quickly wrapping it around herself and racing for the dressing room, where she would be more sheltered from the air currents. Zelda dried herself off quickly, eager to get dressed. She found undergarments sitting on top of the pile of clothes she had discovered earlier, and recoiled in abhorrence when she quickly realized that _Vaati _hadchosen her undergarments. Zelda imagined his eyes not needing to stare at her trying to imagine her underwear, because he would already know.

Her nose scrunched up once again, and decided that forgoing the underwear would only make matters worse. She pulled them on quickly and indifferently, as if it was not her who was dressing. Next she found a corset, and without another thought, discarded it to the side. Corsets were for standing on ceremony and Zelda was not here to impress anyone, least of all her captor. She then came to a plain, white, cotton slip, and pulled it over her. A pair of beige leggings were also lying on the pile, and she pulled them on, comforted by their velvety feel. Zelda reached the last article of clothing and her hands paused so that her eyes could take in the details of the dress. It was woollen, beautifully knitted with soft wools of purple, jade and cream colours. It came down to her ankles, the hem dancing with designs and patterns. It had a slit on both sides and Zelda was glad that Vaati had not decided to conveniently forget to add leggings. The sleeves were long and wide and the dress was decorated with various yarn leaves and flowers, crawling up from all sides.

The dress was so different from the ones she was usually presented, so simple yet intricate in its simple layer. Zelda recalled the various dresses she had worn over the years: layers upon layers;, uselessly expanding her hips with wire frames; tight corsets that strangled every breathe from her; shoes that pinched her toes until they were numb with pain, and heels that caused her back to ache days later; pathetic ornaments and trinkets that adorned her neck, wrists or ears. The final effect from these things were beautiful, and yet the unvarnished dress she was currently holding was so much more beautiful. She tugged it on, unafraid of tearing its sturdy material, unlike the way she had to wear her other clothes: delicately and with finesse.

Zelda looked into a mirror opposite the bench she was dressing at, and found that she loved this dress more than any other she had ever worn. The trousers gave her a feel of freedom, as did the slits at the sides, and the lack of a corset allowed her freedom of movement. She glanced at her dishevelled, damp, curling hair and pulled a hand through it. It did not matter if it was a mess or not. She found a hair tie to pull it out of the way, and tied it into a low plait.

She pushed past the curtains once again, and found Vaati leaning against a column opposite her. "Finally," he said. "I thought in a sudden bout of stupidity you might have slipped and drowned."

Zelda scowled up at him before she noticed that his eyes were scanning her, and he smiled pleasantly as she moved backwards slightly in discomfort.

"Shall we go eat?"

***

They sat opposite each other at a round, wooden table, which was covered by a brightly coloured cloth. The burnt orange colour contrasted nicely with Vaati's purple tones, and Zelda had a sneaking suspicion that this was the only reason the table was covered. The table was bearing a big dish of curried lamb. The turmeric colouring of the stew was dotted with red strands of paprika. Vaati heaped a pile of steaming rice onto his plate, before adding the curry and various other things. He reached out a hand for a poppadom before adding some mango chutney to his plate. "Eat up, princess," he said, his eyes glinting with mocking humour.

Zelda did not allow herself to react to his subtle jibe, and piled her plate up with rice, curry and various foods from side dishes, such as cut up apples, eggs and bananas, along with a cold yoghurt sauce. She dipped her spoon into the curry and enjoyed the warmth the spicy tangs brought her. Vaati watched her from across the table, crunching almost silently on his poppadom. His visible eye was hooded and he was smirking. Zelda caught him watching her, and felt a growing sense of unease crawl up her spine. He would not have poisoned the food; Zelda knew his thinking well enough to be certain that if he would have killed her, he would have made it as dramatic and terrifying as possible. She wondered if he had an unpleasant surprise for after the meal, and kept that option open. She gulped down some water quietly, and set the cup back onto the table without making a single noise. The meal had been relatively quiet, apart from Vaati's beginning comment and the various clinks of cutlery against the tableware. She looked up from under her eyelashes to see that Vaati's plate was already half empty.

Zelda came to the conclusion that he was making her feel uncomfortable on purpose, just so that she would not be able to enjoy her meal. She set about ignoring him until her plate was empty, and she was wiping her mouth with a serviette. She had finished before him, having occupied herself on eating rather than staring at him. He finished off slowly, his eyes never once looking down to see the journey of his spoon from his mouth to his plate, and vice-versa. Once he was finished, he set his spoon down with a satisfied smile. "You wouldn't believe how much I've missed food." He closed his eyes contentedly.

"Frankly, I could not care less." Zelda's reply was short, sharp and vitriolic.

Vaati's eyes snapped open slowly and narrowed dangerously. "Now, now, princess, let's not repeat what happened before, hmm? I find it rather trying to deal with your childish temper tantrums. After all, I do wish to marry a mature woman."

Zelda felt herself go hot and then cold, all at one go. Her hands clenched into fists underneath the table, and she had to remind herself to calm down, lest he handicap her even further by obstructing her ability to do magic. She knew that if it came down to it, although she was very talented, he would beat her by sheer experience and ingenuity. She allowed her hands to break from their tensed shape into loose fists, before replying: "And I wish to marry someone who's honest with themselves and does not hide behind a weak veil of magic!"

Vaati's jaw set into a hard line, and Zelda could practically hear his teeth grind from sheer anger.

"Don't push it, my dear. I think your stay has been rather comfortable up to now. I could make your stay here more permanent than you would ever wish: carved into marble upon a pedestal."

His threat showed Zelda two things: that he was confident in his abilities, and that he hated people referring to his past form. Zelda knew a combination of the two factors would give her an upper hand if used correctly, or could have her frozen forever into granite. Her eyes narrowed and Vaati saw them gleam with cunning. "Empty threats, Vaati. You may threaten me with your undeserved powers, but in the same way if you use violence, it will only show your lack of wit, being unable to respond in any kind other than bluster." Zelda knew she had pushed it too far when he saw his usual purple pallor pale even further. His delicate hands that had been resting atop of the table contracted menacingly. Zelda could see his internal battle to prove her wrong and not give her the satisfaction of losing control. She saw his eyes darken to an evil red, before his mouth curved upwards into a cruel smile.

"Empty threats, princess?" He stood up, his violet cape spreading around him. Extending his hand, he ordered, "Come." He led her towards the throne room where the Four Swords' hilt was still suspended. He led her to the very edge of the marble platform, and from the manic gleam in his eye, Zelda began to inwardly panic. She had no doubt that he would not hesitate to throw her off and laugh psychotically as her hair would whip around her as she fell, and grin with malice as her body would hit the ground with a sickening crack.

Zelda tried to pull away from him, but he fastened onto her tightly, and she noticed he was even more dense than before. She felt no ghost like touches as she had before when he had tugged her towards the bathing area. He outstretched his hand, palm downwards, towards the clouds below, blocking all view of Hyrule. With one parting movement from Vaati, the clouds began rolling left and right, giving a clear view of the realm below. Zelda could clearly see Castle Town below them, the houses minuscule in appearance. They were so far off from the ground that she could not even see the tiny dots which would represent the people going about their business.

"See, Zelda?" he said, reverting back to her name. "Castle Town, as peaceful as it always is. Well, apart from the little fact that their princess is missing." He gave a short, humourless chuckle. "Fools, they never will learn from their mistakes." He turned towards her, his smile seeping with vindication. "Did you know, that I kidnapped not only one, but two of your ancestors? Previous princesses. I've always had a fondness for women with the name Zelda. Not only, but I also managed to thwart those maidens your previous ancestor set so much store by."

"Yet you were still sealed in the sword, despite your 'thwarting' of them."

Vaati ignored her, as if she had not spoken. "Your military was never up to standard. You always had to rely on a farm-boy to help you out of tight scrapes. Not this time, he won't come for you and neither will your precious maidens." His hand clamped down onto her wrist like a vice, and Zelda was scared that it might crack under the pressure he was exerting.

Sweat started to gather at the corner of his temple, giving his skin an unhealthy sheen. His breathing became deeper and Zelda knew that his time in the sword had effected him deeply, despite what he may let on. He was confusing her with previous princesses and began talking to her as though she was the former monarch. Zelda knew that this was no time to give a sharp reply, not when he was so close to the edge, literally and figuratively. Zelda could not care less for his mental state, yet if he snapped she knew that she would be his first target, the familiar face of so many centuries ago, taunting him with victory again and again.

Vaati's eyes began to sharpen and his breathing once again became even. His hold on her loosened, yet he had still not released her. "How much do you love your home, Zelda? How much do you love your father? And the villagers?" He turned his head towards her, tilted at an angle, scrutinizing her.

Zelda did not respond and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. She knew where he was going with these questions. Emotional blackmail.

"From your silence, I'm going to deduce that you love them very much. Now, tell me, how many tears would you cry if something were to happen to them all?" His face turned victorious as the only answer that greeted him was stony silence. He had trapped her like a rat in a corner, with no escape except to run into his waiting arms. He pulled her closer and placed his other hand on the small of her back and rubbed small circles, as if comforting her. He placed his mouth near her ear and whispered, "How much would you hate me if I murdered them? How much would you hate yourself for allowing it to happen?" Zelda felt his mouth tip upwards into a smile.

She pulled away from him silently, the solemn that graced her features answering all of his questions.

He looked gratified. "Believe me, Zelda. I'd do it, without a moment's thought." His hand that still held her wrist rubbed her knuckles and caressed her palm. She jerked it away, her eyes giving dark warnings, but Vaati was not worried. "You're a smart girl, I'm sure you won't sacrifice the lives of your people, just for your own selfish needs."

"You're a despicable man."

Vaati was not insulted. He felt triumphant that he had reduced the spirited princess to nothing more than empty words. "But I'm the man who fooled you and everyone else," he whispered.

Zelda shut her eyes to the world.

* * *

A/N : Is it just me, or do Zelda and Vaati seem less in character than the chapter before? I don't know, but this chapter was really hard to write and they weren't co-operating with me :/ The dialogue wouldn't come as free and flowing as last time, so I feel that this chapter is stilted. Please, tell me what you think, so that I'd be able to fix it ): I hope you enjoyed this chapter though :D Please Review!


	4. Gleaming hopes

Chapter Four: Purpose

Zelda gazed out over the wide gap that encircled her current quarters. It was night time, and the clouds had cleared so she had a clear view to the land before her. She saw Hyrule Town, it's tiny existence only composed of a mass of lights that shined through the dark expanse of obscurity. Zelda saw other beacons of light radiating sparsely from various areas. From the layout, she guessed that the illuminated area below her was Lon Lon Ranch and those lights which were dotting the landscape far to the west were the Western Woods.

She looked out into the expanse below, and felt alone. Seeing the world, her world, from so high up, left her feeling insignificant. Her gaze wandered to the very edges of Hyrule. To the east, she could see Lake Hylia and the Minish woods; to the north, and Veil Falls. Southwards, she saw the southern Hyrule field, green and lush, and to the west the Castor Wilds waited for unsuspecting travellers. She knew Hyrule as well as she knew her own home, and they were alike in a way: unchanging and always welcoming, she always felt at ease with it.

Zelda had never left Hyrule, and she never knew what lay beyond it's borders, had only heard stories and legends of giants and oracles and great oceans she had never swam in. Seeing her home spread out, like a toy map before her, shook her. She rolled onto her back and sighed gustily. She would never be able to sacrifice her home like that, not for her sake or anyone else's.

A cold breeze drifted and swirled across, rustling her now-dry hair. She was glad her dress was made out of wool; it insulated her and kept her warm. She turned back onto her stomach and placed her head into her hands and pondered. _Maidens. Farm boy. _Zelda was not a fool, and although Vaati would have never willingly divulged such information, he had been on the brink of insanity when he had yelled it at her. Zelda thanked her ancestors that her father had insisted that she should be educated thoroughly. Never before had she thought that old legends such as these should be of any importance to her.

Zelda always thought of them as legends, even though they were written down into her country's official history books. They had been told to her by her mother, kind and caring as she had always been. Tales of princesses being kidnapped and young boys dressed in green always saving them. Even as a child, Zelda had been slightly repulsed that the princess was always being saved, never doing the saving, but she never commented because time spent with her mother was precious, and she wished to all the world that her mother would come back and tell her those tales again and again.

The stories, history had told her, always consisted of three main characters, as in the case of most sagas: one princess, one villain, and one hero. For some reason, throughout the course of the legends those three arch types were always one and the same, even though the records stated that the events had happened with a few hundred years between them. There was the princess who was always named Zelda, as was dictated by family tradition; there was the hero who, for some unnamed reason, was always called Link and continuously seemed to be dressed in green, and then there was Vaati.

The pattern, too, was repetitive. Vaati appears, kidnaps princess, Link collects some magical artifacts, seals Vaati away and saves the princess. In the past, the boy and the princess had always been friends, and the present Zelda lamented about the fact that she had never bothered to really acquaint herself with the farmers who lived scattered around Hyurle Town. She saw the lights illuminating Lon Lon ranch snuff out, and wondered what time it was. She had no sense of time, and was already beginning to lose track of how long she had been there, though she knew it could only be slightly more than a day. It was only when Zelda turned her back to a cold south-breeze that she saw a glint on the horizon. It was bright and strong and beckoned towards her, and it was coming from the Royal Valley.

_What could this mean?_

The light from the glint was different from the glow of the oil lamps from Hyrule town. It was startling white tinged with blue, violet and gold all at once and it blazed for a few seconds at a time before disappearing, and then blazed again. Zelda recognised a calling when she saw one. Zelda tried to bring forth to mind any other such like occurrences, but could think of none. To the east, she saw another light begin glinting, and it seemed to be coming from the wind ruins and from the west deep in the heart of the Minish Woods another light flared up. Zelda turned to face south and saw the final light shining from the Tower of Winds.

_Four beacons of light. Four shattered pieces of the sword. The four Swords, the blade of legend; originated from the Picori sword._

All these facts swam through Zelda's head yet her face remained motionless as her mind whizzed to put pieces together, to form a plan.

_The sword that vanquishes evil. _

It would be useless without the hilt. Zelda's back straightened up as her mind set to work. Vaati hadn't sealed off her magic. Why, she did not know, although she had a rather strong suspicion that she was not much of a threat to him. With this in mind, Zelda knew that her plan would have to be subtle. She knew that she'd have to pull off advanced magic that she had never tried without supervision before, and she knew that if her plan failed, Vaati would kill her, violently and with much enthusiasm.

۞

The day started much as the one before, with Vaati arriving in a chipper mood to greet her, with the exception that he took her to have breakfast instead of to have dinner. The routine started as the previous day's routine. Zelda bathed and dressed, tried to ridicule Vaati and ate with him in silence. The food itself had been pleasant: cold cuts of meat lightly drizzled in honey with various fruits and types of breads and sauces littering the table. The delicious spread was questionable itself.

"Vaati."

Vaati's eyes slid slowly to look at her. "Yes, milady?"

"Who makes the food?"

Vaati laced his fingers slowly together. "It's quite good, isn't it?"

Zelda cut off a sharp reply, and patiently waited for him to answer.

"Lakitus make the food."

"Who?" Zelda had never heard of such beings before.

"Oh? You haven't heard of them?" Vaati's lips curved up into a crooked smile. "I'll show you, then." He slid up from his seat and when Zelda followed he held out his hand to her. Zelda eyed it with distaste but did not dare outwardly refuse it, lest he became furious. His smile widened by a fraction and Zelda took it as a warning sign before reluctantly giving him her hand. His grip around it tightened firmly, ready to cause her pain if she tried anything. He lead her through a hallway which had marble columns at every few intervals. A the very end of the hallway Zelda saw a suspended set of stairs in mid-air, with no railing or boundaries to stop one going over the edge.

_Does he plan to push me off? _

Zelda subconsciously tightened her hold on Vaati's hand. He looked over his should to shoot her a smirk and mockingly said, "Scared of a bit of a fall, princess?"

Zelda stared coldly back at him. "Did you bring me out here merely to taunt me?" Her voice was colder than the winds from the peaks of .

Vaati's hand constricted harshly, and his fingernails bit into her hand, engraving little crescent moons into her palm. He jerked roughly onto her arm and brought his face closer to hers before hissing, "Remember your place, Zelda."

Zelda's eyes narrowed, yet she did not antagonize him further. Once he was satisfied, he continued leading her and tried to scare her by jerking her roughly across the floating stairs. Zelda did not let her fear show and bit the inside of her cheek to control herself. Finally, after several terrifying more steps, they arrived on a solid marble floor. Vaati led her down one more corridor, before they came to the first totally enclosed space in the palace.

He swiftly opened the large doors and quasi dragged her inside. It was sweltering hot and steam hung in the air like fog over moors and foreign chattering boomed in her ears. The heady scent of sauces and stews jarred Zelda's senses. The walls were lined with shelves, spices and herbs piled neatly into jars staring out from their glass containers. None of them were labelled and some looked so similar that Zelda wondered how the Lakitus distinguished one spice from another. Pots and pans were hung on hooks which had been nailed into the wall, the steel of the skillets and saucepans gleamed strongly in the light. The effect caused a ripple of light as Zelda and Vaati walked forwards. There were several old ranges shoved against the wall and several heavy-duty wooden tables took up most of the centre of the room. Herbs, roots, meats and various other foods hung from the ceiling, bizarrely mimicking the goods that hung from the tents of travelling merchants. A huge fireplace blazed merrily away at the very back of the room.

Despite the industriousness of the room, that was not the aspect that caught her eye the most. Little turtles, with apple-green shells crouched on their back and rings of ebony embedded in circular designs into the cartilage, floated serenely on white clouds. All of them had a tuft of hair adorning their crowns and as Vaati and her approached, the chattering puttered out into silence and they swiftly fell into neat ranks. Where their clouds touched side by side, Zelda could see tiny currents of lighting forming and sparking out.

The Lakitus stared impassively at them, their small black, pebbled eyes still yet restless. Zelda was slightly unnerved and confused. They were obviously monsters, yet they prepared such delicious meals, with skill and efficiency. Zelda had been brought up to believe that monsters were, savage and ignorant of anything but violence. There had been no proof to plead otherwise. Zelda looked deep into the eyes of one of them, trying to find sentimentality, morality, intelligence, yet the black pebbled stones yielded nothing but blank indifference.

"How do you get them to work for you?" Zelda's question rang through the walls and arches of the kitchen, reverberating and echoing in the quietude.

"Similar to your system in Hyrule Town: Hierarchy."

"Do you mean to say that you employ and pay them?"

"Oh no, they know their place, the order of things. Like in a food-chain, they are lower than me and thus, not to be vapourized or something equally horrific, they work for me."

"That's anarchy, not hierarchy. Know the difference."

"Yet how easily hierarchy can turn into anarchy, hm?" Silence greeted him. "Well, Zelda?"

She knew what he was referring too, and hated him for it, and hated herself for it too. She had no idea how he knew, no clue as to how he had gained this information.

"Now, now, think deep inside that small head of yours. I'm sure you'll find it."

Her mother had been ill, a terrible sickness which no doctor had been able to cure. The Queen's family had been in turmoil. The King had ignored his subjects and had ordered his guards to harass any and all travellers for a cure, a hint, a mere whisper of rumour that could cure his wife. He'd had the librarians read through every single book to see if any hint of a remedy murmured from the dead vellum mouths; he had had the farmers working endlessly to produce herbs for his wife; tried quack remedies and superstitious rituals. In the end, he had even went to Syrup, the never-dying witch who he feared to impossible extents.

She had arrived at the castle and spent an hour locked inside the Queen's room, with no-one else accept her young apprentice. Zelda had spent that hour sitting outside her mother's room, her arms locked tightly around her knees, whilst her father paced fanatically, restlessly up and down the corridor. When the door had finally creaked open at the end of the hour, both Zelda and her father waited with baited breath. There had been no point in waiting. Even Syrup had not been able to do anything for her mother.

The shell that had housed her mother's spirit had been buried in the Royal Valley, her body placed next to the countless other nobles that had been related to her some way or another. After the burial, the King ignored his kingdom, shunned his duties, and secluded himself in his quarters. None were allowed to enter, not the servants to clean or present meals; nor his advisers to offer up knowledge and wisdom. Not even Zelda, his own daughter, who needed a loving parent at this time more than any other time.

The one time Zelda had gone to give and seek solace, he had thrown her out of his room and had left his hand print across her face as a warning. After that, Zelda resorted to making life very difficult for those around her, in an attempt to chase away the sorrow of not losing one, but both parents. She threw regular tantrums and refused to listen to the castle staff. She continuously snuck out of the castle, throwing everyone into a frenzy.

Zelda recalled a particular day when the entire castle had been making preparations for a foreign ambassador from Holondrum who was making a diplomatic visit. It would be one of the rare occasions that her father would leave his quarters. She had used the opportunity to make a head-way for Minish woods. She had not been very young, twelve at the least and it had only been half a year since her mother had passed away, yet the hurt had still been fresh. Zelda had stolen one of the guard's horses and had made off with it. It had only taken half an hour to get to her destination, and she had spent the whole day looking for the tiny fabled Minish, who were said to only appear to children and could grant wishes. She had spent hours searching through the bushes and old ruins, peeking into hollow trees and wading through streams to catch a glimpse of the tiny rodent-like creatures. Zelda had had one very specific wish in mind and she would go to great lengths to find the race who could fulfil her desire.

Alas, after several futile hours of searching, Zelda had to give up the hunt. It was getting dark and she needed that half hour of light to make her way home. So in an ill temper she had arrived, furious at her failure, and everyone around her was furious too. Zelda had never seen her father in such a rage at one of her disappearances; he had never really noticed or cared. She had gone to bed in tears without a single piece of sustenance in her stomach and that night she vowed that she would distance herself from her father.

Zelda kept her self-made vow. After a year had gone by, her father had managed to compose himself and once more ruled the country as his subjects remembered. Zelda had become civil and well-spoken. She never snuck out to anyone's knowledge and behaved well both in company and out of it, but her father and her were never close again. Over the last few years they barely ever saw each other except at meal times and social gatherings which they both had to attend.

The present Zelda's face contorted in sheer hate for Vaati, and he loved the pure venom in her eyes. "For all your supposedly civil upbringing and rigorous training, even you can't face your former self, can you Zelda?"

Zelda clenched her fists tightly and barely managed to control herself from flinging a pot of boiling water at his face.

Vaati's eyes glinted maliciously, forming twin pools of blood steeped with vindictiveness and rancour. "You think yourself better than everyone, don't you, Zelda? Yet you acted worse than any farm brat or wild savage. It was not pure grief that caused you to act the way you did, was it?"

"How do you know of my mother's death?" Her voice was a harsh whisper, raw and bare.

Vaati chuckled inauspiciously. "No, what you really mean to ask is, how did I find out about your true ugly self, hiding behind that Pharisaic veneer?"

"I am not self-righteous," Zelda hissed.

A glint of his fangs showed as he laughed. Vaati spread his arms wide and proclaimed, "Prove it! Prove to me, to your Kingdom, to all your subjects that you're on equal footing with them, that you're willing to do anything for them; die for them."

Zelda remained motionless, she was not even aware whether she was breathing. She did not blink, ever second was frozen in a series of baited breathes. "Is that why you brought me here?" Her voice was unwavering and unreadable. "To toy with me, mock me and then sacrifice myself all for your entertainment?" 

"No, Zelda, not at all! Well, at least not quite so soon. You really are a dense girl aren't you? Oh, smarter than the first Zelda I kidnapped, yet you seem to pale in comparison compared to your predecessor."

Zelda remained quiet and full of fury, tight-lipped to seal her contempt for the man.

Vaati stared at her, his eyes narrowing softly and slowly. "Tell me, Princess, how do you manage to control your rage?" He studied as he took in her deepening breaths and clenched jaw. A side of his mouth quirked upwards. "Yet, back to the topic at hand," he leaned against one of the wooden tables and laced his fingers together and crossed one ankle over the other and his eyes scrutinised her face intently. "How far are you willing to go for your people?" he semi-whispered.

"As far as needs be."

Vaati levered himself off the table. His face broke into a wide smile, beaming at her, in quasi childish radiance. "Very good!" He exclaimed. "So, then, you won't have any objections will you now, to anything I ask of you?"

Zelda did not let her shoulders slump down in defeat. The battle was not yet lost. "As long as my people and country remain unharmed, I shall not object."

"How noble!" His hands grasped each other in excitement. "So, absolutely no objections to marrying me before the week is out?" His red eyes narrowed in sheer delight.

Zelda looked him in the eye, as hard as uncut diamond. "None whatsoever," she whispered.

"Good. Very good."

۞

Vaati had just dragged Zelda into a corridor behind the throne room, before he deigned to enlighten her. "I thought you'd like to see where we shall be wed," he murmured into her ear, before leading her through a wide arch into a beautifully sunlit open-courtyard. Zelda had to let her eyes accustom to the light before she could take in her surroundings. Before her was a lush garden, full of plants of all kind. Flowers and foliage alike flourished, nourished by the magic in the atmosphere. Dotted around the garden were several crystal sculptures, each depicting a state of weather. Their crystalline beauty caught the sun and reflected its light into a myriad of rainbow colours, forming arcs. Flanking a flight of steps were four pedestals, each supporting a stone statue of each of the elements. The marble steps reached high out into the sky, and gay way to a bare platform with gold markings each into its surface.

"A fitting place to be wed, don't you think Princess?"

Zelda did not reply, too busy trying to calculate an advantage, any advantage. "Who shall wed us?"

"Funny you should think about that," Vaati drawled, "but I have thought it apt that we use people from the wind tribe, seeing as they shall soon have to pay tribute anyway. Might as well reintroduce them to their new leader."

_Despicable man._

"They were around before?"

Vaati sighed in amusement. "And once again, princess, who show your total lack of knowledge. The wind tribe, although small, were most probably here before your settlers moved in. So much so, that they have developed abilities to control the wind, and thus, thanks to their rather docile nature, have made your country flourish."

"When shall you inform them?"

Vaati pretended to thin about it for a while. "Say, over dinner, perhaps?"

Zelda suddenly knew how she was going to escape.

A/N: Well there you go, for people who still follow this story! Although you won't believe me, my most humble of apologies for the extremely delayed chapter (boy, you must be tired of hearing this by now.) Yet, never fear: I shall never abandon this story. I hope you're enjoying it so far! Reviews would be appreciated, but don't feel obliged. It's not like I get paid or anything for writing this ;) ***GUILT TRIP GUILT TRIP GULT TRIP* **

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year :D**


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